The Toad, The Snail, And The Snake
by Sawer
Summary: The strain of living day after day for three years. Team 7 finds out growing up wasn't as great as they thought it would be. [Pairing in the epilogue.]


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Me no own. You no sue.

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THE TOAD, THE SNAIL, AND THE SNAKE

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Chapter 1: Everything Has A Beginning

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Sakura can taste the salt at the crevices of her lips. Bile and blood and saliva, a most disgusting combination, was formed in her mouth as she swallowed thickly. The aftertaste itself was enough to send her head spinning if it wasn't already turning on its own. _Every night…_

Even after her talk with Naruto. Her promise to be there, _be there with him_, as they brought Sasuke back together; it wasn't enough to stop her pain. Did she think this new determination would change her emotions just like that? Was she looking to change them in the first place? If she stopped crying then…. Then…. Would that mean she no longer cared for him?

And not just him. He didn't just leave her, they all did. After they saw what abandonment did to her they did the same. They left her and now she's alone. Crying and alone, no one to even watch her lay here and suffer. Is this what they all felt? She liked to think so. Next time they met, and they would, she wouldn't be the one that didn't understand. She could honestly say she was one of them. She wouldn't feel left out.

Like she did right now.

Pain is just a sickness. _Like chicken pox. Have it once and you'll never have it again. But you can always give it to someone who has never had it before. They gave it to me. They were all contagious and when they coughed, I took in their air. _Sakura pushed her head deeper into her pillow. Only her shallow breathing could be heard and it calmed her. A few more breaths and she could hear, she could feel, her heart beat pulsing against that special spot on her neck.

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My heart beat never stops. Why should I? Sakura tossed herself over to face the ceiling. The suns lazy decent towards the ground became prominent on her desk, her nightstand, her lamp. The red and orange hue slithering down Sakura's bedside, lighting up faces of monsters under her bed.

Sakura sashayed her hand over to her nightstand where she knew her alarm clock would be. Its snooze button was worn down by its constant use, the on/off text on the alarm switch was fading but she knew instinctively what it said and she glided her fingers subconsciously over the device.

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She just said early, She never gave a specific time. Sakura closed her eyes when the sun's red fire glared against them. Even after the annoying rays moved away, she had no desire to reopen her eyes. _Naruto has Jiraiya, I have Tsunade, and Sasuke has that monster as a teacher. Jiraiya and Tsunade are friends, Orochimaru is their permanent enemy. Is that going to happen to team seven?_

Sakura listened to the civilians outside begin to shut down there shops and became faintly aware of the fact that she hadn't even eaten supper. Her stomach gave one last protest before turning in for the night along with her.

  
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"I don't want any."

A large, tan palm made its new home on an even tanner shoulder. "The day Uzumaki Naruto refuses ramen is the day the world ends." The hands partner came up with an orange and black jacket, swishing it back and forth in front of its guest. "New clothes. Change and lets go. Destroying the world would go against everything you stand for, right?"

Despite the rather sarcastic humor, Naruto didn't feel he had the energy to laugh. Or the energy to even show he acknowledged the joke. Dropping his towel from his hair and reaching for his jacket, he shrugged on the offending garment in one quick movement before speaking. "I'd rather just go home."

Jiraiya stared at his student before turning to slip out of his yukata and into his regular clothes. "I guess it's to bad for you that I don't take your opinions seriously." Fixing his right sleeve, the white haired fighter pulled back the sliding door and stepped into the hot spring's main hallway.

"On a happier note: I am paying." Pretending to be deep in thought, Jiraiya stroked his chin. "At least for the first four bowls. After that," The older man shrugged. "You're on your own." Jiraiya felt a pressure on his left hip before he saw his student push completely pass him.

"As always." Somehow, Jiraiya got the idea he wasn't talking about the food deal.

With a weary sigh, how this seemed all to familiar to his own past, Jiraiya plastered on a pitiful happy face as he put an extra bounce in his step to catch up with the blonde. "I think I like it better when you fake being happy. I hate getting emotional."

It had been fifteen minutes and Naruto still refused the ramen in front of him. The boy gripped his chopsticks so tight the other man was worried he was going to get splinters. _It'd be his luck, wouldn't it?_

Jiraiya brought his own bowl up to his lips one last time, feeling the broth slide down his throat, then slammed the piece of ceramic down hard enough to catch not only Naruto's attention- but the three costumers in the remaining seats.

"When do you want to leave, brat?" He placed his chopsticks diagonally across his bowl. The ramen girl took it from him and thanked him for his rather generous tip.

Naruto felt the tightness in his chest disappear as all his previous thoughts left him. His mind completely blank. "Huh?"

Jiraiya tried to glare but felt it would be a waste of muscle usage on his zombie like apprentice. "I mean…" A deep breathe, then two. "Sakura will stay here and begin her training with Tsunade." Seeing his thoroughly confused face, he elaborated. "If you're here; you'll distract each other." _Not to mention you'll be safer if we continuously travel. Lay low for a while._

Jiraiya adapted one of Naruto's mischievous grins as he leaned into the younger boy, his elbows digging into his knees. "Unless you'd rather not train and have Sakura save Sasuke all by herself." For a few seconds Jiraiya thought his sentence fell on deaf ears.

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Save Sasuke? But wasn't the pervert the one who said to give up? A smiled replaced his frown as Naruto's stomach became fully charged. Nodding his approval, he began to dig into the now cold food before him. Intent on filling up before leaving.

Naruto had a feeling he would be needing all the energy he could get.

  
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It hadn't been his intention to hurt people. Emotionally anyways, the physical pain was well intended. Actually, that part was pretty fun. But, its not like he really cared _that_ much.

In his eyes, everything was justified on the sole belief that it was their own fault for trying to become close to him. Trying to be his friend. He knew they would get hurt, he tried to make them leave him alone. He did all he could to help them understand and so he didn't feel bad at all when they finally got knocked down, they set themselves up for it.

They could try and bring him back again. He knows they'll be back. And he knows they know he knows. That's why all he can do is laugh. Laugh at how naive they are, how stupid.

Uchiha Sasuke felt perfectly fine with the idea of enjoying the pain and suffering of the rest of the members of the disbanded team seven. He almost looked forward to it.

Maybe that's why he chose the snake user. Or the snake user chose him. Orochimaru let him revel in these types of sick enjoyments, encouraged them actually. Because he understood…

He understood it is these same types of feelings, thoughts, and wicked pleasures he needed in order to act out his revenge.

He didn't want to just kill Itachi now. He wanted to torture the man first.

And Uchiha Sasuke was going to need a little practice before hand.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Sorry for the shortness. Next chapter will be longer. Promise!

This is sorta like a conjunction with my very short one-shot, 'Three Years Till This Day', for Hikari-chan since she asked for one.

I know my writing sucks but I'm not used to writing fan fiction. I guess it's going to take a while for me to get the jest of things. But I'm happy I can at least spell and my grammar isn't completely under a kindergarteners.

Constructive criticism is HIGHLY welcome.


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